Violin



(No Model.)

B. A. THOMPSON.

VIOLIN.

Patented Jan. 7 1896 a 2 Wu mm m zA WM ANDREW IGRAKAM. FNOTD-UI'HO.WASNINGTDN.D C.

- provide for an equal. vibration in correspond- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENOOII A. THOMPSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

VlOLlN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOOH A. THOMPSON, of the city of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Violins, of which the following is a speci fication.

My invention relates to violins; and the object of the invention is to so alter the ordinary form and construction of violins as to in g parts of the instrument, and thereby improve the tone of a violin in smoothness, power and voice qualities.

My invention consists in general in a violin of the construction and combination of parts all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, and will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a front or top view of a violin embodying my invention, the neck thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side view of the instrument. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line a; of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, 2 and 3 represent the front and back plates of the violin. These are of substantially the ordinary form and construction, being curved and swelled outwardly according to the practice of the maker. The two plates are secured upon and separated by the side strip or strips 4, which in practice I prefer to make of a single and continuous strip of the same thickness throughout, thereby avoiding stoppages in vibrations in. this part of the instrument. The C-bouts are of the ordinary form; but the projecting corners of the top and back plates are not rigidly secured. to the side or rim 4:, as usual. Instead they project outward independently, the top and side plates being secured alone to the edges of the single strip, rim or side. The opposite projecting corners 7 are joined by small soundingposts 8, having their ends glued in the corner parts and touching no other part of the instrument. These projections are as the other arms of levers, the long arms of which maybe considered as resting in the top and back plates.

Hence as the vibrations cause the top plate atent No. 552,555, dated January '7', 1896.

Serial No. 531,328. (No model.)

to expand outwardly, the corners of the top plate will be depressed, thus depressing the corners of the lower plate and raising the middle portion of the back plate, preserving the top and back plates at the same distances from one another at all times, so that the volume of air within the instrument does not change. Furthermore, the two plates are in this way compelled to vibrate equallythat is, the top plate cannot vibrate any more rapidly than the back plate, or vice versa-the opposite of which action would cause an interruption or crossing of the air-waves, to the great detriment of the tone of. the instrument. The sound or f holes of the peculiar form which I employ are a great assistance in the general equalization of vibration. They differ from the ordinary f-holes in having both ends of the long slots turn inwardly, the result being that the fewest possible number of fibers measured transversely across the instrument are cut, leaving the top plate in solid strong parts, which convey the vibrations as a unit, as no small projecting and isolated lugs or ears are left which may set up a counter or variant vibration. The lower ends of the soundholes are much larger than the upper end, as a greater volume of air is then within the lower end of the instrument, and which volume must be accommodated with the larger passage through the plate. As the instrument grows smaller toward the 'upper end the slots are tapered an d gradually decrease in size until merging into the small openings which form the upper end thereof. The curves of the sound-holes correspond nearly to the curves of the C-bouts, but gradually leave the same at the top, it being necessary that the holes should be a certain dis-' tance apart between their upper ends. The equal inward and outward flow of air and airwaves which is permitted through this particular kind of sound-hole must and does obviously greatly improve the sound or tone and the other qualities of the instrument.

It is obvious that without the inturned-end form of sound-hole it would be impossible to employ the vibrator pins, as insufficient material would be left at the edges of the violin to support the vibration to the outwardly-ere tending lugs 7. The sound-post 9, the baseand back plates, with the rim between the same, the outwardly projecting lugs 7, the sound posts extending between and connected with opposite lugs only, and the top or front plate being provided with sound or f-holes, both ends of which holes extend inwardly, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of December, A. D. 1894.

ENOOH A. THOMPSON.

In presence of- F. S. LYON, M. E. GOOLEY, 

